Folding drinking-cup.



E. G. BALDWIN.

FOLDING DRINKING 0UP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1912.

1 qm fima Patented Feb. 23, 1915. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. ZaBaZcZa/a'n 'E. C. BALDWIN.

FOLDING DRINKING CUP.

'APPLIGATION FILED MAY 11, 1912 Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2,

I 5 unv [Tu/a rflow: .ZZCBaLdwUz .me'nts which I will now EDWARD c. BALDWIN, or Bos'roN, MASSACHUSETTS;

ronnme DRINKING-cote.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that l, EDWARD C. BALDWIN, acitizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Drinking-Cups, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to drinking cups made of flexible waterproof sheet material such as parafiin paper having flat sides which normally lie in contact with each other .and are adapted to-be bulged outwardly to open the mouth of the cup.

The invention has for its object to provide an improved construction whereby the mouth of the cup may be conveniently opened for use without the necessity of introducing' the fingers into the mouth of the cup, the construction being such that strength and durability of the cup are insured.

- A further object is to provide a collapsible cup havingahandle to facilitate its use.

The invention consists in the improveproceed to describe and claim.

v Ofthe accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan View of a' preferred form of blank from which'the cup is made. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the completed cup in fiat condition. 3 is a perspective view of the cup, the. mouth being open for filling. Fig. 4 is an end view of the cup when flat, as shown by Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an end view of the cup when opened as shown by Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the lower portion of another or modified v 7 is a side elevation of a completed, cup made from a blank, the lower edge of which is formed as in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 represents a section on line 8 8 of Fig. 7. Figs. 9, 10 and '11 represent respectively sections, slightly is then open, some of form of blank. Fig.

Specification of Letters Patent. i Pmhgntigd Feb, 23, 19115, Application filed May 11, 1912. Serial No. 696,662.

14 are caused to adhere by means of a coating of suitable adhesive first applied to one or both of the surface portions of said members that are brought together by such folding, the pieced side thus having a closed seam or joint The member 13 is extended to form a flap 15 which is free from cement and is adapted to be turned outwardly to form a fin handle, as indicated by Fig. 3. One end of the continuous side 12 is extended to form a flap 16, the length of the body portion of which is practically equal to the width of the continuous side 12. After the members 13, 14 have been folded inwardly and overlapped, a line or stripe of glue or cement is applied along the upper portion of the flap 16 and also along the edges of the members 13 and 14 which have been folded down against the side 12. In other words, the cement or glue is applied along the portion of the bottom of the cup which tending on to the surfaces of the paper both sides of the open bottom. After this, the bottom of the cup is folded up, as indicated in Fig. 2, the line of the fold being some little distance above the lower edge of the portions of the members 13 and 14 so that when the blank is then pressed as by being run between rollers, the glue or cement is squeezed slightly into the open but folded up edge of the cup and is also squeezed in the other direction toward the edge of the flap 16. Inasmuch as the lower end of the cup is folded along the transverse line just described, such folding results in the formation of a barrier which prevents the glue or cement from the glue or cement eX-.

being squeezed up into the inside of the continuous side 12 of the cup is elongated to form drinking lip 1%. W hen the cup isfilled, liquid can be conveniently taken therefrom over the lip 12, the stiffened and reinforced lower edge of the cup enabling it to be conyeniently and securely held even without use of the flap or fin handle 15.

As shown by Fig. 2, the sides of the cup are normally flat and practically in contact with each other. The mouth or open end of the cup may be opened by bulging the sides of the cup outwardly, this being accomplished by pressure of the thumb and fingers of one hand on the narrow necks 18 formed by folding the blank alongthe lines ac, y. The free flap 15 enables the thumb and a finger of the other hand to exert an outward pull on the side of the cup from which said flap projects, thus facilitating the outward bulging of said side, the flap constituting a. handle.

Referring to Figs. 6 to 11 inclusive, it will be seen that the structure is substantially the same as above described with the exception of the formation of the lower edge portions of the cup which constitute the reinforced bottom. In this last illustrated cup, the flap 16 has relatively narrow end portions 16' which are formed on and constitute extensions of the corresponding 1 end portions of the members 13 and 14 and are narrower than the, body portion of the flap. The central portion of the lap 16 is provided with a wing 16", the base of which is partially separated from the body portion of the flap by an incision 17. Prior to the folding operation above described the flap 16, its extensions 16 and wing 16 are coated with cement, the cement coated area being indicated by the shading, Fig. 6.- The operation of folding the blank along the lines 00, y, causes the extensions 16 to bear on the body portion of the flap 16, as indicated by Fig. 7. The flap 16 is next folded against the outer surfaces of the members 13' and 1 1 constituting the pieced side, the flap 15 being at this time folded back against the member 13, and the wing 16 being caused to bear on the lower end portion of said flap, and on the adjacent portion of the member 14, as indicated by Fig. 7. It will now be seen that the blank shown by Fig. 6 is converted into a flat sided cup having, a closed body formed by the overlappedand cemented portions of the members 13 and 14 of the pieced side,

. and a closed bottom formed by the cementing of the flap 16 to the pieced side. The extensions 16 reinforce and strengthen the corners of the cup at its closed end or rename bottom and the wing 16 reinforces and strengthen, the lower end of the longitudinal iia";

1-" It sometimes happens that when a cup has been ca"ied in a folded condition in a pocket its des become curved, one of the sides curvin inwardly and the other outwardly, dler. the sides are thus curved, pressure /on the necks 18 will be liable to bulge or both sides in the same direction without opening the mouth of the cup. The provision of the free flap or handle 15 enables the mouth of the cup to be quickly and conyeniently opened and prevents both sides from being bent or bulged in. one direction. The location of the flap 15 on the exterior of the cup renders the insertion of the operators .ingers into the mouth of the cup for thepurpose of open- 1 the same unnecessary. The flap or han- 15 enables the operator to mai'iipulate the cup when it is charged with. water,

It is not necessary for the operator to press inwardly on the necks in opening the mouth of the cup. The operator can open the mouth by pressure the finger which grasps the flap 15 against the adjacent side of the cu Another method of opening the cup without necessitating the placing of a finger inside thereof isby the action of the water itself with which it is desired to fill the cup. As shown in the drawings, one of the sides of the flat cup is longer than the other side and forms a projecting lip 12 in other words, the side of the cup which is provided with a handle is of less length than the side 12 and consequently if the cup be held somewhat inclined under a descending jet or stream of water so that such jet or stream will strike the lip 12 of the side 12, the action of the water will automatically open the cup. By a similar action, the cup may be opened even when dipping water from a spring or elsewhere. into the water and then raised with the side 12 undermost, the weight of the water will open the cup and fill it.

tions of the side which carries it. to steady the cup when filled so as to avoid risk of its accidental tilting due to its vertical elongation, and also to control the gradual tilting according to the rapidity of drinking by the user. As the handle is flexible If the cup be simply dipped 1 and normally lies flat against the side of the cup when the latter is collapsed, it takes up practically noadditional room or space, and does not interfere with the flexibility of the cup when in the pocket. But when opened out, it not only steadies the cup in use, as mentioned, but enables the cup to be filledand emptied without inelosing it or surrounding it with the fingers, thus leaving the walls free to be helddistended by the contained liquid and avoiding risk of causing overflow by collapsing pressure of such fingers.

The projecting lip 12 when the cup is filled, immediately becomes curved laterally because it must conform to the change of shape of the side 12, as shown by Fig. 3. It is therefore strengthened by assuming such curved shape and reliably serves to conduct Water to the mouth of the user. Owing to the fact that said lip, as well as the entire cup, is Waterproof, it does not soften or lose its stiffness when wet, and consequently the cup can be used many times without liability of the lip doubling or bending over. In other words it can be dipped in water, or held under a spout, or

used to drink from, many times, without losing its capability of being converted to spout form and used in that form.

In each form' illustrated and described, the cup is provided with a strongly rein-' forced bottom which will enable the cup to be held, when filled with water, by means of a finger extending under the bottom of the cup, even without grasping the fin handle,

such strengthening or reinforcing preventing the lower edge from being cracked or broken against the pressure of the supporting finger, by the weight'of the fluid contentsof the cup. 7

I claim 1. A vertically elongated waterproof flexible cup normally flat and having an elongated flexible handle normally flat against a side ofthe cup, extending from its upper to its lower cup in use.

2. A vertically elongated flexible handle normally fiat against a side of the cup, extending from its upper to its lower portion to steady the cup in use, said cup having the side which carries the handleishorter than the other side, whereby a lip or extension of said other side is adapted to receive pressure of water to effect the opening of the cup when 7 held by said handle.

portion to steady the elongated waterproof flexible cup normally flat and having an edges, said flap being bent outward to'form a handle, and a fold overlying said overlapped edges to form a bottom for the cup.

5. A drinking cup composed of thin flexible material creased at its side edges to form overlapping parts constituting the back of the cup, a flap overturned from the front of the cup and overlying the back, means for securing all of said flaps together, and a lip projecting'from one edge of the overlapped back pieces to constitute a handle.

6. A vertically elongated waterproof flexible cup normallyflat and having a flexiblehandle normally flat againsta side of the cup, extending from the upper portion of the 'cup' sufficiently far down the side thereof to steady the cup in use.

7. A flat cup of flexible material, having one of its sides at the open end permanently longer than they other side, the longer side forming a lip adapted to be stiffened by assuming a transversely curved form when the cup is distended, the said material being of a waterproof character to prevent said lip from softening and changing its spout shape when in use, the seam portions of the cup being capable of resisting attack by moisture.

8. A flat cup of flexible material provided with permanently secured seam portions, the material being of a waterproof character to'prevent'the seam portions from being attacked by moisture, the two sides of the cup being of unequal length to present a lip adapted to be stiffened by assuming a transversely curved form when the cup is dis tended, the waterproof character of the material preventing softening of the lip by water.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD o. BALDWIN.

-Witnesses:

G. BATCHELDER, P. W. PnzzE'rTI. 

